The Truth
by digigirl132
Summary: A collection of entries from the livejournal group admitby20. Each one is about Ash and Marona and the ways that they change each other for the better. AshMarona
1. Chapter 1: Growing Up

Ash couldn't help but notice how crowded Phantom Isle was getting. Not even a month ago it had just been Marona and him. Now, however, there were several other phantoms living there. Of course, this was bound to happen eventually. Marona was a very charming girl. It was hard not to like her. Well, for phantoms, at least. Humans, on the other hand…

Ash shook his head. Now was not the time to think about that. It was their day off, after all. Ash just wanted to enjoy the sunny day as much as he could. Currently he was sitting on a large rock in the yard, watching some of the other phantoms play games. Marona was playing tag with the various scrabbits, and it seemed like she was winning. Ash smiled. It was nice that she got to have fun every now and then.

One of the fighter phantoms came over to Ash and asked if he wanted to train with them. Ash thought about it for a moment, then said, "I suppose I should. You never know when a tough job might come up, and Marona will need us to be in top shape then."

The fighter nodded. "Yeah. But you know, she could take care of herself if she needed to. She has more skills than being able to use us, you know."

Ash raised an eyebrow. "That may be true," he said as he looked over at Marona, "But she's still a kid. She has a lot of growing to do before she can take care of herself."

The fighter laughed. "I think she's been doing a pretty good job of that already," he said.

Ash was about to say something, but he stopped. The phantom had a point. Marona may have only been thirteen, but she was more responsible than some adults. She worked for a living, took care of her own bills, cooked her own food, cleaned her own clothes, and took care of more than two dozen phantoms in-between. She was, in some ways, already an adult.

Marona isn't a child anymore…that thought startled Ash. He had always just seen her as his best friends' daughter, or even a little sister of sorts. He had forgotten that she would grow up. No, that's not right. He knew that she would grow up someday. But that's what it had always been: someday. He thought that he had all the time in the world to watch her grow up. In just a couple years, though, she would be the same age he had been when he died. She wouldn't stop there, either. She would grow older and older, while he would always remain the same. And he knew that he would eventually have to watch her die.

That thought scared Ash more than anything else. He didn't want to watch Marona die. He had watched his best friends, Haze and Jasmine, die. To some extent he had been aware of what was happening when he died. It hurt. Not just physically, either. He had wept for days after that. He saw it as unfair. Why did they have to die? And why was he stuck here, somewhere between the living and the dead, while Marona's parents had passed on? Shouldn't they have been the ones in his place, watching their daughter grow and change? Why did things never turn out as they were supposed to? And, most importantly, what was he going to do when Marona was gone?

It was painful to think about, but Ash was glad that he had remained here after death. If nothing else he could watch over Marona and keep her out of harm's way. He owed his friends that much, at least. He owed it to Marona, too. For a long time he had been the only one there for her. Most living people feared and hated her, choosing to overlook her bright and bubbly attitude and only see her as a monster. There were many phantoms out there that would hurt her if they were given the chance. It was a dangerous world, and Ash had to be there for her when she needed him.

Yes…that was it. It may be less often as she grew older, but there would always be times when Marona would need him. Being ready for that time was something he could do. He could be happy with that job.

The fighter phantom looked to his friends, then back to Ash. "Are you gonna come train then?"

Ash nodded. He hopped off the rock he was sitting on as he said, "Yeah, let's go." 


	2. Chapter 2: Together

Marona was full of excitement. She had been sent a job offer, and she was about to meet the person who had hired her. Normally these meetings didn't go too well. Either the person in question knew of Marona's reputation, or if they didn't know they found out fairly quickly. Most people treated her with contempt at best. Marona felt that today would be better, but she was still uneasy. Things could change very quickly.

Marona glanced over at Ash. Right now he was hiding, so only Marona could see him. Nobody else gave the pair so much as a second glance. When the hallway was relatively empty of people Marona whispered to Ash, "Do you think they'll be ok?"

Ash glanced down at Marona and smiled slightly. "It'll be fine," he whispered back. While other people couldn't see him, they would be able to hear him. "Don't be so jumpy. Just be yourself, and you'll do fine."

Marona's excitement was slowly wearing away. She was a child, but she knew the harsh realities of life. It was likely that this client wouldn't like who she really was. "I can't," Marona whispered, "I'm too nervous. What if they don't like me?"

Ash paused. He knew that this was a reality as well. It had happened before. "Don't worry," he said, "I'll be right here next to you. If anything goes wrong I'll be here for you."

Marona smiled. "You're so helpful," she said quietly, "How can you be so calm?"

The truth was that Ash was far from calm. He was just as nervous as Marona was. However, Ash was older than Marona, and he had learned how to keep his emotions to himself.

They had reached their destination. Marona stopped in front of the door, but she didn't open it. Ash stood behind her, waiting for her to make her move. For a few moments neither of them did anything. Then, finally, Ash reached out and squeezed Marona's hand encouragingly. "I'm nervous too," he admitted, "but I think we can work through this together."

"Thanks, Ash," Marona said, sounding relieved. She took a deep breath and took hold of the doorknob.


	3. Chapter 3: I'm Sorry

"You'll bring them back, right?"

Ash looked back at the small girl standing in the doorway, and he couldn't help but smile a bit. She looked just like Jasmine. Well, except for her hair. She definitely had Haze's hair. But her face, her eyes…they were definitely Jasmine's. Right now those bright eyes were looking up at Ash, and they were full of desperation. Marona may have only been five, but she was beginning to understand the ways of the world. Her parents had come home with cuts and bruises far too many times for the little girl to not know what was going on.

Marona spoke again. "You're gonna bring mama and papa back, right?"

Ash actually had to think about that for a moment. This wasn't going to be any ordinary trip. The island of Evil was a very dangerous place to go, and it was a rarity for anyone to come back alive. He couldn't tell Marona this, though. That would make her upset, and Ash didn't want to do that. So, he just laughed a little and said, "Don't worry. I promise I'll bring them back safe and sound."

oOoOo

For eight years those fateful words had been stuck in his mind. Ash wanted to kick himself for saying something like that. How could he have been so stupid? The odds had been against them. They were young and inexperienced. They had no chance. Now he was here, stuck somewhere between life and death, trying his best to make sure Marona grew up to be a good person.

It wasn't his death that hurt him. It wasn't even Haze and Jasmine's deaths that hurt him. It was the look on Marona's face when he told her that her parents weren't coming home that killed him inside. He still remembered how she had cried, how she had pleaded, how she had begged.

"_You promised! You promised that you would bring them back!"_

Ash looked down at the ground. Just remembering those words tore him up inside. It had been eight years, and Ash still felt guilty. He hadn't been able to keep his promise. He had fought literally do his death, but he hadn't been able to save his friends. On that day he had broken the most sacred of promises. He had been entrusted with the lives of two very important people, and he had let them down.

What should he do? Ash looked up. While he couldn't see from his spot on the small porch, he knew that Marona was sleeping in the room above him.

"_You promised!"_

Ash wished that he could go back in time. If he could, he would prevent them from ever going on that trip. If they had never gone, Haze and Jasmine would still be alive. If they hadn't gone…Marona wouldn't be alone.

Ash felt a familiar pressure behind his eyes. Soon he felt the pressure break, and then there was wetness on his cheeks. He reached up to wipe it away, then pulled his hand away and looked at it. What he saw caused him to let out a short laugh. Of course. Though one could see the appearance of tears, phantoms didn't cry in the traditional sense. Of course he wouldn't have tears on his face. It just felt like they were there. He was dead, after all. These were just memories of what crying was like.

If only he had stopped them…if only…Ash shook his head. This was really unfair of him. No amount of moping on his part would bring Marona's parents back. At the end of the day they were still dead, and his promise to her was still broken. There was nothing he could do about that.

It hit him like a dead weight. That's right. He couldn't do anything about the past. What was done was done. He couldn't go back and change things. All he could do was…

Ash took a shaky breath, then said, "I'm sorry Marona. I didn't mean to, but I hurt you badly. I'm sorry…"

Ash laughed to himself, "Why am I even saying this? She's asleep. She can't hear me."

He shook his head sadly, half wondering why he hadn't thought of apologizing before and half wondering when he should actually make the effort.


	4. Chapter 4: First Kiss

Ash's first kiss happened on New Year's Eve. It had been the first time Ash had gone out without his parents there with him. His guardians for the night were Haze and Jasmine, a young couple who Ash knew. They were not terribly close. Ash was, after all, eight years younger than them. He enjoyed their company, though, Haze was a big brother of sorts to Ash, and Jasmine was just plain pleasant to be around.

The party was quite fun. Ash, who hadn't known anyone here previously, was quiet at first, but he warmed up eventually. There were people of all ages there, and he found people his age to spend time with. They played games and told stories of their exploits as chromas. Ash hadn't made a career choice yet, but being a chroma was beginning to sound more and more appealing.

At a minute before midnight everyone began scrambling to find partners. Ash knew that it was because good fortune fell on couples who kissed right at midnight. He looked around and saw that most people had people to kiss already. Five seconds before the clock struck midnight a girl Ash's age hurried up to him and said, "For good luck?"

Before Ash could respond the clock started to chime, signaling the New Year. The girl didn't wait for an answer, and she just leaned in and kissed him. Ash was a bit startled by it, but he didn't respond negatively. Actually, he didn't respond at all. All he did was wonder why people thought that kissing was special, since it didn't feel special at all.

He was eleven at that time.

Ash's second kiss happened several years later. He had gotten angry at his parents, so he had run away to another island to stay for a while. Haze and Jasmine had allowed him to stay with them for a while. He had grown tired of being around Haze and Jasmine's daughter, who was a toddler at the time, so he had gone into the city that night in search of adventure. What he had found, though, was not too adventurous.

During his wanderings Ash had come across a brothel. He knew it was a brothel, and he knew he shouldn't mess with such things. His parents had always told him to stay out of trouble and be a good person. Of course, Ash quickly forgot that advice when he got into a fight with his parents.

The woman wasn't particularly attractive. In fact, something about her made Ash's stomach turn. He forced that thought out of his mind, though. The woman had an air of adulthood about her, and Ash figured that this was the quickest way for him to show his parents that he was grown up and ready to take charge of his own life. He had no idea what to do, though, so he let the woman take care of everything. Before long Ash was shirtless and his head was spinning. The woman claimed his lips and pushed him onto the bed gently.

Before much else happened, though, the woman stopped and asked for his money upfront. Of course, Ash had little money of his own, and it certainly wasn't enough to pay for "favors". He was thrown out, and he was hounded by the brothel's goons for three months afterwards. Luckily Haze had helped Ash with that problem. Ash never would have been able to live it down if he had to explain things to his parents.

He was sixteen at that time.

Ash's third kiss happened quite a long time after that. Haze and Jasmine's toddler was a toddler no more. Now she was a young woman, just barely seventeen. Ash, of course, hadn't aged in years. Being dead had that effect on a person. It was strange, though. He had raised this girl from the tender age of five, and he had always been there for her.

He didn't remember why they were fighting. Maybe it was something he had said, or maybe he had done something that she didn't like. Whatever it was, she was yelling at him, and Ash felt compelled to yell back. Harsh words were exchanged. After some hours the arguing died down, and the anger they both felt disappeared.

She was the first one to apologize. It was in her nature, after all. She always wanted to please everyone else. This time, though, Ash apologized as well. They had both been at fault, since they had both continued the fight long after it should have died down.

It was quiet for some time, then it happened. She made the first move, pressing her lips gently against his. He didn't move at first. The surprise of this girl, one who he had known since birth, kissing him was too much. Apparently he took too long, since she ended the kiss and began to move away. He stopped her, tough, and kissed her. She let out a whimper, which sent shivers running down his spine. He had to admit that, though it wasn't his first kiss, it was definitely the best.

He was eighteen at that time, has he had been and would be for many years.


	5. Chapter 5: Boyfriend Stealer

Ash definitely didn't enjoy all of this extra attention. Ever since that time he and Marona had beaten Walnut, the idiotic man had been following them everywhere. He even went so far as to follow them to the ends of Ivore. What was up with this man? Why was he so obsessed with Marona? It gave Ash a headache. Of course, every time Walnut came around Ash had to stop him from getting too close to Marona. Sure, he may have just been obsessed with Marona's powers, but he was still dangerous.

Today was like any other day. Ash and Marona were trying to complete a job, and Walnut was trying to get in the way. While Marona took care of the monsters (with the help of a few phantom friends, of course), Ash took care of Walnut. At first he thought he could just talk to the chroma. Perhaps a nice chat would help him see the errors in his way, and he would stop being a nuisance. "You know," Ash said, "Every time you try to mess with us you get beat up. I would have hoped that you would have seen a pattern by now."

Walnut was not in a mood to be reasonable, apparently. He took a swing at Ash as he said, "Shut up! You and that brat are always getting in my way!"

Ash easily blocked the attack. When Walnut got mad, his fighting skills decreased. With a sigh he said, "But you're the one who always follows us…"

Walnut took another swing at Ash, and Ash blocked it again. This time, though, he slipped on a loose rock and fell back on his behind. It didn't really hurt, what with being dead and all, but it did put him at a disadvantage. And, of course, Walnut never let a chance get away from him. Now Walnut was looming over Ash. He crouched down in front of Ash and grabbed the front of Ash's shirt, their faces only an inch away from each other. Ash gulped. Being caught like this was going to be problematic. With a sadistic grin Walnut said, "Well, that was easy. Now that I have you, I can get that stupid girl to-"

He never got to finish his sentence, though. A fireball to his head stopped Walnut very quickly. He stumbled away from Ash as he tried to put the fire out. Meanwhile Marona, who was holding a staff, stood by Ash. She grabbed hold of Ash and held him against her chest protectively. As Walnut tried to put the fire out Marona said, "You better not mess with Ash again, you big meanie! He's MINE!"

Ash blinked. What in the world was going on? When Walnut finally managed to put the fire out he said, "What are you talking about?!"

"I saw you," Marona said accusingly, "You knocked Ash down, and then you tried to kiss him! He's MY boyfriend! I won't let you confuse him with your man-cooties!"

Walnut was just as confused as Ash Was. Marona was clearly seeing things that didn't happen. Ash said nothing, though. He left it up to Walnut to correct Marona. Of course, Walnut was not good at correcting anyone. "I didn't do it! Why would I want to kiss some dead guy? Besides, I like girls, not boys! And I don't have man-cooties, either!"

"Liar," Marona said boldly, holding onto Ash with an even tighter grip. If Ash weren't already dead, he probably would have died from a lack of oxygen by now. "I know what I saw! I can understand being attracted to Ash, but still! You shouldn't try to steal someone else's boyfriend. It's not nice."

At that point Ash thought about stopping the fight. For starters, he and Marona weren't technically dating yet. They both had feelings for each other, and they had talked about dating, but nothing official had been said yet. Secondly, Walnut clearly wasn't trying to win Ash over. However, Ash still remained quiet. As stupid as the argument was, Ash had to admit that he liked the attention.


	6. Chapter 6: Forever and Ever

Ash took his job very seriously. He had to, really. Though he was living with Haze and Jasmine, Ash felt responsible for his needs. He thought that the best way to do this was to work hard everyday. Ash took every job seriously, and even on his days off he trained vigorously.

Of course, his training never went uninterrupted. His friends took their jobs a lot less seriously than he did, and they often tried to get him to take a break. They were very crafty in their efforts; Haze usually managed to find some interesting book to show Ash, and Jasmine always tried to tempt Ash with tasty food. The worst, however, was little Marona.

"Aaaaaash! Play with meeeee!"

Ash sighed. While Haze and Jasmine were out shopping, he had to keep an eye on Marona. She was five, though. She should have been able to entertain herself while he trained. But no, she had to constantly bother him. He wasn't even that good with kids. They bothered him too much. In fact, Ash was only able to tolerate Marona, and that was because he saw her everyday.

However, she did test his patience sometimes, and today was one of those days. From his spot in the garden Ash looked over to the back door. It was partially open, and Marona was peering around the door. Ash took notice of the floofy pink dress she was wearing. It was not something she normally wore. It was usually reserved for holidays and dress-up. Today wasn't a holiday, so she obviously had the latter in mind. "What is it, Marona," Ash asked.

Marona looked away for a moment, as if she were afraid to ask, then looked back to him. She said, "I wannah play. Will you play with me?"

It looked like Ash wasn't going to be able to train. He had to keep Marona happy, though, so he said, "Okay. What do you want to play?"

Marona smiled widely. She hobbled out of the house and went over to where Ash was. "Let's play castle," she said enthusiastically, "You be the prince, and I'll be the princess!"

Castle. Ash knew that game very well. He wasn't too crazy about it, but Marona seemed to like it. So, he decided to go along with it. "We can do that. So, what do princes and princesses do?"

Marona had to think about that. After a few moments filled with ums and ers, she finally said, "They have parties. Dance parties!"

She grabbed Ash's hands. "Let's dance!"

Ash normally wasn't much of a dancer, but he was willing to try for Marona. "Okay, let's dance."

It wasn't pretty. Marona had no dancing skills, and Ash wasn't much better. But they laughed and danced away, and when it was all done they sat in the garden and took a break. "That was fun," Marona said happily, "Wannah dance more?"

Ash laughed and shook his head. "I'm a bit tired now. We can dance later though, okay?"

Marona nodded. They sat there for a moment, looking out at the different plants in the garden. Jasmine did a good job of taking care of the plants. After quite some time Marona looked over at Ash and said, "You'll always be the prince, right? You'll stay here and be the prince forever and ever?"

The question took Ash by surprise. Of course, she had good reason to be worried. Ash had only been there for a short time, and he was a young adult. Moving away wouldn't be that hard for him. And then there was the fact that his job was dangerous, too. It was very likely that he could just disappear one day.

He liked it there, though. At first it had been difficult to adjust, but by now he had become attached to this life. It was such a startling realization that he didn't answer Marona right away. After a few seconds Marona said, "Ash?"

That snapped Ash out of his thoughts. He looked down at Marona and was met with big puppy-dog eyes. With a smile Ash said, "Sure."


	7. Chapter 7: The Circus

The circus was an amazing place. Ash couldn't believe how many people were there. How could so many people fit in one place? Everyone on the island had to be in this one little tent. There weren't just people there, either. There were animals and balloons and clowns and all sorts of things. It was almost too much for Ash. In all three years of his life he had never seen anything like this.

Ash looked up at the trapeze. Nobody was on it yet, and the swings were tied up. He couldn't help but stare, though. It was so high up, and there was no safety net. What would happen if someone fell?

It didn't take long for Ash to get feelings of vertigo from staring up at the trapeze, and he started to wobble. Before he could fall over, though, his mother gently placed her hands on his back. "Be careful," she said sweetly, "You don't want to trip, do you?"

Ash looked over his shoulder at his mother and shook his head. With a smile his mother said, "Well then, let's go find our seats. Do you want to lead the way?"

Ash nodded. Now that he wasn't feeling dizzy anymore, he scampered forward with a burst of childhood energy. After a few steps he was stopped by a large clown. More accurately, he was stopped by the large clown's leg. "Watch it, kid," the clown said gruffly, "This ain't a playground."

With a meep, Ash ran back to his mother and hid his face in her skirt. She chuckled, then patted Ash on the head. She said, "It's okay, sweetie. Why don't you stay with me then, hmm?"

Ash nodded into his mother's skirts, and he remained there for a few moments before pulling away. He looked up at his mother, waiting for her to lead the way this time. She looked down at him, radiating motherly warmth. Holding out her hand she said, "Would you like to hold my hand?"

Ash nodded again, and he took hold of his mother's hand. His mother smiled at him, and he smiled back.

oOo

"Ahh, the circus! This is so great."

Jasmine nodded in agreement to Haze's statement. "It is. I'm so glad we were able to take a break and have a little fun."

Jasmine looked down at Marona, who was walking between Haze and Jasmine while looking around curiously. The circus was a new place for Marona, and there was so much to see. There were animals and balloons and clowns and all sorts of things to look at. She giggled as she watched a man lead a herd of small dogs across the sidewalk. Jasmine smiled as she watched Marona and said, "Marona seems to be enjoying it. This is her first time, too."

Haze looked down at Marona, then up at Jasmine. "I think she'll like it," he said cheerfully.

Following behind the happy family was a less than happy chroma. Ash felt very out of place here, almost like a fourth wheel in this family. He didn't like the circus too much. It reminded him of his mother, who had passed away years ago. The memories were painful, and Ash would have liked to stay home instead of come and wallow in memories. Haze and Jasmine had insisted that he come, though, and he couldn't really refuse them.

He watched the family of three walk ahead of him. Ash didn't try to catch up to them. Similarly, he didn't try to lose them in the crowd either. He stayed about three steps behind them, neither leaving them nor interrupting their family moment. All he could do was watch, and he felt a painful sting in his chest. He wasn't jealous of his friends and their happiness; it was quite the opposite. He was glad that they had each other. As he watched them, though, he thought about his family and how it could have been. That caused him heartache, and even the cheerful circus folk couldn't cheer him up.

Suddenly Marona stopped. Ash stopped as well, watching her carefully. Marona was looking at a nearby cage, which had a large cat beast in it. The cat monster eyed Marona, clearly looking irritated. Marona didn't notice, though, and she happily wandered over to the cage. Ash, being the ever diligent friend and babysitter, followed after her.

Marona made it to about ten feet away from the cage before the cat monster did anything. Suddenly it let out a loud roar, one that scared Marona and made her cry. She quickly turned around and started running away. Ash expected her to run to Jasmine, but he was caught off-guard when Marona was suddenly clinging to his leg. "Ash," she cried, "It's scary!"

Ash didn't make a move right away. He was completely befuddled by Marona's actions. He had no idea how to calm down a crying three year old. It wasn't like he grew up around younger kids or anything. He shifted uncomfortably, trying to think of something to do. Finally, with an unsure hand, he reached down and patted Marona on the head. "It's okay," he said slowly, trying to sound comforting, "It's in a cage. It can't get you."

Marona looked up at Ash. Her face was wet from crying, and her bottom lip was trembling. She still looked scared, but she wasn't bawling her eyes out anymore. Apparently Ash's technique worked. In a scared-sounding voice, Marona said, "P-promise?"

Ash was unsure of where this would lead, but he nodded and said, "Yeah, I promise."

That seemed to make Marona feel better. She dried her eyes with the back of her sleeve, but she still held onto Ash's leg with one hand. Ash instinctively held out a hand and said, "Let's go back and find your mom and dad. Would you like to hold my hand?"

Marona nodded and took Ash's hand, and Ash couldn't help but smile a little. He didn't know why right then, but somehow he felt a little better then before. As the pair walked away, Ash looked up to find Haze and Jasmine. They were standing a little distance away, and they were waiting patiently. Apparently they had seen the whole thing. Ash raised an eyebrow at them. If they were so close, why didn't they come and help?

It was then that Ash had a thought. It was a strange thought, but it had some merit. Perhaps Haze and Jasmine didn't step in because they wanted Ash to be the one to comfort Marona. Maybe this was their way of bringing Ash into the family. He hadn't been with them for long; it had only been a few months since they had rescued him. He still didn't feel comfortable around them. Maybe this was their way of saying 'Don't feel left out. You're part of our family now.'

Of course, Ash would never admit that was what he wanted the most. He was too thick-headed to admit that. Instead he looked down at Marona, who smiled up at him. And, just as he had done thirteen years before, Ash smiled back.


	8. Chapter 8: Recharge

Ash was exhausted. A Chroma's work was always hard, and today had been no exception. He could barely stand up by the end of it. There had been at least a dozen monsters, if not more. If it weren't for Haze and Jasmine, ash might not have made it at all. Ash was grateful for his friends, and he was always willing to help them with a job, but sometimes he wished he could get a break. Life now wasn't like it was before, where resting for a few hours meant no food, so shouldn't he be able to rest every now and then?

Luckily, Haze noticed that Ash wasn't feeling so well. "If you're tired, go rest up," he said as he opened the door to their house, "We'll wake you up when dinner is ready."

Ash felt relived, but he felt the need to confirm it before he went on his merry way. "Is that really okay?"

Haze nodded to Ash. "Sure. Everyone needs a break to recharge their batteries every now and then. You definitely earned it today, too, so go on."

With a sigh of relief Ash said, "Thanks, Haze."

Unfortunately, Ash found it difficult to fall asleep. It was mid-afternoon, after all. He was used to staying up far into the night, and his body just wouldn't let him fall asleep. He tossed and turned, slowly growing frustrated at his predicament. Finally he let out an irritated noise as he flopped back on his bed. "Aagh! I'll never fall asleep!"

There was a small knock at the door. Ash almost missed it, since it was so quiet and he was busy brooding, but he heard it and said, "Come in."

Marona carefully opened the door. It looked like she was a little scared of Ash's crankiness. Truthfully, Ash wasn't surprised. He remembered what it was like to be four; everything was scary then. He watched her expectantly, and she scampered into the room, carrying something in her hands. She stood there for a moment, and Ash realized that she wanted to give him something. Once his hand was open and in front of her, Marona placed an item into his hand: a double-A battery.

At first Ash was confused. Why would he need a battery? He didn't own any electronic items. He was about to question Marona when he remembered what Haze had said.

"_Everyone needs a break to recharge their batteries every now and then."_

Ash couldn't help but smile a little. The whole situation was just too funny. "Did you give me this to make me feel better," he asked, "Because I was tired?"

Marona nodded sagely, as if this was the most important thing in the world. Ash reached over and patted the top of Marona's head gently. "Thanks, Marona. I feel better already."


End file.
